Blood Lust
by CheyWolfe
Summary: After being nearly killed in a spell battle, Ritsuka begs Soubi, a vampire, to turn him. With no other choice, Soubi infects Ritsuka with the venom. Now, a month later, Ritsuka is dealing with the hunger and needs his mate, Soubi, to help him. Not AU.
1. Chapter 1

Soubi regretted turning Ritsuka.

He truly did. It caused the boy so much pain, especially during the first few days when Soubi could do nothing for Ritsuka's hunger. It had to be done, though, for Ritsuka had been dying and had begged Soubi- outright _begged_ him- to change him. And so Soubi had, as Ritsuka would have died in his arms at the hospital if he hadn't. That didn't mean he didn't regret it. If there had been something else Soubi could've done, he would've done it, but there had been no other choice, no other way, besides changing Ritsuka.

Soubi could smell Ritsuka as soon as he walked inside the Victorian-style house that was used just for this purpose. He had a short talk with Kio, one that merely consisted of Soubi telling him of the current situation with Ritsuka's parents and Kio updating him on Ritsuka's status, which seemed to get worse and worse with each day that passed when Soubi didn't come. Unfortunately, he had other things to do and couldn't be with his Sacrifice and mate every day. It would be different after everything got sorted out, though.

Soubi then headed down the stairs, to the deep underground room where Ritsuka had to stay for the first few months. He carefully unlocked the door, thinking about how horrible it must be for Ritsuka. The child was the one who had insisted on being locked in, out of the fear that he would attack someone if the hunger got to be too much. Ritsuka's scent was much stronger here. Soubi didn't even need a light to find his way down the stairs and tight corridors. He was sure that Ritsuka could smell him by then, too.

Soubi pushed open the door, standing in the doorway to take in the scene before him. The room Soubi had set up for Ritsuka was a mess. Books were strewn across the room's floor, torn up with pages and bindings ripped out. Black soft feathers were all over, too, as if a young bird had exploded and the feathers all fell in different places around the room. Ritsuka was sitting against the back wall, his knees drawn to his chest and his arms and cat tail wrapped tightly around his legs. He was hiding his face in his arms and he was shaking slightly, something that alerted Soubi that he shouldn't have waited this long to come.

Ritsuka could only survive five days without being fed, and by the third day he would start to lose his sanity little by little. If Soubi had waited until four days, Ritsuka would've attacked him as soon as he walked into the room. Soubi, on the other hand, could go nearly a month without starting to feel that gnawing hunger that couldn't be soothed by human food. He had forgotten what it was like to be younger.

Soubi stepped inside, shutting the door quietly behind him. The room was dark, only lit by a candle on the dresser. Soubi frowned, hoping that Ritsuka hadn't been playing with fire. Young ones who were left alone by their mate or unable to get to a feeding source, usually had the overwhelming urge to hurt themselves, but not other people. Soubi would have to check Ritsuka for burn marks as well as scratches and cuts.

"Soubi…It…it hurts…" Ritsuka's voice was muffled and very quiet and weak. It almost didn't sound like _Ritsuka_. Another pang of regret hit Soubi, but he knew that this was the way it had to be, and it would've been done, one way or another. Ritsuka peaked up, and Soubi saw that his eyes were blood red, a definite sign of the hunger and pain that Ritsuka was in. "Please, Soubi…"

Soubi took his coat off, discarding it on the floor before sitting on the bed that was pushed up against the south wall and the east wall, near the door. "Come here, Ritsuka," He instructed, gently pulling the bandages off of his neck. He opened his arms to the young child, speaking again in a quiet, soothing tone. "It's okay, Ritsuka. Come here."

Shaking, Ritsuka went over to Soubi, the only sound in the room being his little footfalls. He paused before doing anything, though hunger obviously got the best of him and he climbed into Soubi's lap, straddling him. Soubi closed his eyes, feeling little Ritsuka's hot breath on the side of his neck, away from the Beloved scar, before the child licked his skin. This was something that Soubi had learned that Ritsuka liked to do- warn Soubi before he began.

Ritsuka's fangs were small and just-developing, though they still startled Soubi as they pierced his skin. It hurt like a needle prick, sharp and only for a second. A warm feeling started as Ritsuka's teeth quickly slid into place, creating a slightly pleasurable sensation for Soubi. Ritsuka made a whimpering sound, and Soubi felt him beginning to feed, calming the hunger that was so painful and impossible to ignore.

"I'm starting to sort things out with your parents," Soubi told Ritsuka, his hands on the young one's back. He knew that Ritsuka liked for him to talk while he fed off of his blood, and it was the least Soubi could do to comply, since it was his fault that Ritsuka was like this in the first place. "I have another Fighter working the case. He went to school with me. Seven Voices. We're fighting for your parents for custody. Your mother seems like she's finally lost it. She had a breakdown in the courtroom today."

Soubi moved his hands up and down Ritsuka's bony spine, rubbing his back in slow, gentle circles. Ritsuka's feeding didn't hurt him at all. In fact, it made a warm, tingling feeling, something that was meant to be enjoyable. If Ritsuka went too fast, though, it would put Soubi in a lot of pain. Ritsuka was careful of this, and Soubi was grateful that he was nothing like his brother.

'Vampires' were what regular people called them, as well as words like 'the undead' or something alluding to them being dead. They weren't dead. Soubi, Ritsuka, Seimei, and any other Infected had a heartbeat as proof that they were alive. It was also a myth about the Infected being afraid of garlic and the light, as well as them losing control whenever they were around blood. The latter would only happen if an Infected was in dire need of blood, which was a state that was rare and not exactly dangerous to humans. Another myth was that a 'vampire' bite would kill any human. It could hurt, but only if the Infected fed too quickly. After the Infected was done, human would simply have a bite mark, almost like a hickey. It wouldn't get infected and the human wouldn't turn into an Infected.

The terms Infected and Fighter or Sacrifice were nearly synonymous. A person had to be either a Fighter or a Sacrifice to even have the possibility of being turned into an Infected, though not all Fighters and Sacrifices were Infected. Soubi had known this from a very young age, as he had been born into a family of both Fighters and Infected that was _nearly_ purebred. Before all of them had been killed/died, Soubi's entire family was purebred on his mother's side, with the exception of his father. His mother had been a Fighter and an Infected, but she had chosen a normal person as her mate/husband. This was rejected in Soubi's family, so his mother had gotten disowned and her family and they refused to even talk to her. Soubi did have a couple relatives (his mother's mother and his mother's sister) but that was all who was left. Soubi hated both of them, anyways, and they hated him.

"Are you angry at me?" Soubi asked quietly. Ritsuka shook his head gently, gradually going slower and slower, as Soubi could feel from the amount of blood flowing from him. He regretted this. He really, really did…

_Ritsuka was dying, Soubi realized as he looked at the multiple machines his little Sacrifice was hooked up to. Soubi himself had multiple injuries, but he was able to care for most of them. Ritsuka, on the other hand, had been hurt both on the inside and out. Spells had been shouted, quick and powerful, and Soubi had been able to do nothing to stop them, for it was Seimei and his new Fighter, Nisei, who they had been fighting. _

_ Ritsuka had refused to go with Seimei and Seimei had taken it the wrong way, thinking that meant Ritsuka didn't love him. He had ordered Nisei, told him to hurt Ritsuka lethally, to make him want to die. Soubi didn't really know what good that did, but he supposed Seimei had finally lost his sanity._

_ Soubi had been able to do nothing but watch as Ritsuka got hit with spell after spell, all damaging his insides as well as his outsides. Seimei had taunted Soubi during it, telling him to do something, yet knowing just as well as Soubi did that he could do nothing. It had broken Soubi's heart and he had __**tried**__ to do something, but no spell that he said had any affect. He had attempted to fight back, but it hadn't worked. Ritsuka passed out after a long time, but Nisei still hadn't stopped. He had begun to direct some spells at Soubi, too, as well as Ritsuka. Finally, a spell of Soubi's finally got through, one that made them disappear and go back to where they came from._

_ Now, a week later, Ritsuka was still in the hospital. Soubi hadn't left his bedside the entire time. Ritsuka's condition wasn't getting better. In fact, it was just getting worse. Almost all of Ritsuka's internal organs were failing and he was having bad heart and lung problems, too. Soubi stayed in the hospital with him, refusing to leave. _

_ Soubi stood from the couch where he had been napping and crossed the room to Ritsuka's bed, staring down at the beautiful boy. The entire reason that he had gotten hurt was because he had wanted to stay with Soubi, not to go with Seimei. Through all of the spells, Ritsuka had never budged from his position, even though Seimei had asked him with every spell Nisei shouted out. It had been the first time Soubi or Ritsuka had seen Seimei since the incident at Seven Voices, which had happened nearly a year ago. _

_ "Ritsuka," Soubi touched Ritsuka's hand, his mind thinking of dark thoughts. Three days previous, Soubi had cut his left wrist, not out of depression, but with the knowledge that an Infected's blood had healing powers, especially if it was from someone who had been an Infected since birth. Ritsuka had seemingly gotten better after he lapped up Soubi's blood, but the next day his vitals fell dramatically again. As the days went by and Ritsuka's condition worsened, Soubi was forced to face the fact that he only had one choice left._

"Soubi," Ritsuka had finished and had pulled his teeth out of Soubi's neck, leaving two small puncture wounds that were bleeding lightly. His eyes had turned to a color between red, the color of an Infected's hunger, and violet, Ritsuka's normal eye color. This hue was a sort of magenta, or a pinkish color. "I missed you."

Ritsuka was Soubi's mate. Infecteds often had mates, whether they were another Infected, a human, or a human turned Infected. Soubi's mate, Ritsuka, was a human turned Infected. Mates established a blood bond where the Infected's primary feeding source was its mate. Even if the other was a human, they had to have drunken their mate's blood at least once. Mates could recognize each other's scent even when they were a ways away. Younger mates, such as Ritsuka, tended to only feed off of their mate's blood, not another human's or another Infected's. The bond between mates was psychological, too. Seimei had fed off of Soubi's blood, and occasionally vice versa, but they hadn't been mates. A pair had to love each other enough and both had to consent.

"I'm sorry, Ritsuka," Soubi was apologizing for more than just leaving him for three days. He was sorry about turning Ritsuka, too, even though it had instantly cured his health problems caused by the spells. "Kio told me that he offered his blood to you. Why didn't you take it?"

"He didn't smell as good as you," Ritsuka answered, putting his head on Soubi's chest and breathing hard. "I like the way you smell. Don't leave again…"

Once the psychological and blood bond was established, it was hard and nearly impossible for an infected and the mate of the Infected to live without one another. It wasn't just because of the need for an Infected to feed off of the other's blood. Even if they had a mate, they could still get blood from somewhere else, so that wasn't a problem. Living without their soul mate, once they found them, was mentally and emotionally hard. A young Infected would have the hardest time with it, as they would seek comfort as well as a food source from their mates. Soubi understood that Ritsuka wouldn't be able to sort out his feelings well without having Soubi with him, which was why Soubi was worried about the common problem of Ritsuka, a young Infected, hurting himself.

"I have to finish things with your parents," Soubi ran a hand through Ritsuka's hair, slightly surprised when he found a small black downy feather in it, one that was the same as the feathers spread out on the floor.

When Infecteds got older, they learned to control their hunger and fit in with normal people. They were still human, but being a Fighter or a Sacrifice created a strange defect in the DNA code. This was what gave Fighters and Sacrifices power and the abilities they had. Unfortunately, this also gave a toxic venom, one that had absolutely no effect on those without the defect ('normal' people). When a Fighter or a Sacrifice was injected with this venom, though, it caused a tolerance and need for blood, as well as extremely heightened sense of hearing and smell (sadly, not sight, which could be useful for a nearly-legally-blind Soubi). Adult Infected could go nearly a month without feeling the slightest pangs of hunger for blood, and, by then, they had usually secured a single, willing feeding source.

Blood wasn't a substitute for regular human food, either. This venom, once it was injected, created a separate hunger. The venom did other things, too, such as the blood red eyes when Infecteds got hungry and the need for young ones to hurt themselves when they were without their mate or away from a food source, and, of course, they all grew fangs. Infecteds tended to be exceptionally beautiful, though that wasn't always the case. Sometimes, it gave powers, but not always. Ritsuka seemed to be the type of Infected with powers.

Once someone was Infected, just like being a Fighter or a Sacrifice, it was hereditary. The more people in a family lineage that were Infected (or Fighters/Sacrifices) the more chance a person had to become one. In Soubi's family, nearly everyone had been a Fighter and an Infected, so it was almost a given that Soubi would be born an Infected. Someone way down the lineage in the Aoyagi family must have been an Infected, as Seimei was born one and Ritsuka was not. The gene that was passed down for Infected was neither recessive nor dominant, but it was chosen based on how strong it was and it was also sometimes randomly chosen.

"I know," Ritsuka whimpered again. Soubi hugged him tightly, unsure of what else to do when Ritsuka sounded like he was going to cry.

"When the summer's over," Soubi tried to steady his voice so that he could properly comfort his little, young mate. "You'll probably be able to return to school. You'll be going into high school, won't you? There's a big one not too far from here. I could walk you there."

"What if I attack someone? What about the sun and garlic? What if someone starts bleeding in class?" Ritsuka had obviously heard the myths tossed around as well as the new lies created by all the Vampire hype recently.

Despite the regret he was feeling, Soubi laughed. He had explained how being an Infected would heal Ritsuka and how it would prolong his life significantly and also how he would physically mature a lot slower, though he would still age. Ritsuka was the one who had jumped in when Soubi had mentioned mates. It was then that he admitted that he loved Soubi and never wanted to be apart from him, which was why he had refused to go with Seimei. Soubi loved Ritsuka more than life itself, so the psychological bond had been formed. Ritsuka had asked Soubi if they could be mates and Soubi was all-too-happy to agree.

"You won't attack someone," Soubi told Ritsuka, nuzzling his kitten ears. They had stayed, probably because Soubi had wished them too, even though they had had sex. Ritsuka could make them disappear when he wanted to, though, which was a power of his. "The only time you would _ever_ attack someone is if you lost your sanity to hunger, which you won't ever have to worry about."

"Because I have you," Ritsuka said quietly, his head still on Soubi's chest. His hands clenched and unclenched Soubi's shirt, kneading it like one of the kittens Soubi often picked up off of the street.

"Right," Soubi went on. "And we aren't afraid of garlic. Garlic only clouds the scent glands, so it's harder to smell things. We don't die by sunlight, either. Our skin is only a little more sensitive than a normal person's. You'll just have to wear sunscreen when it's sunny."

"What if someone bleeds in class?" Ritsuka asked again.

"You'll smell it, but nothing will happen unless you're hungry."

That seemed to satisfy Ritsuka's curiosity and worry. He looked up at Soubi, and Soubi could see what his problem was. He was still feeling that horrible hunger that took over the senses and caused so much pain. His eyes were still magenta and Soubi could smell the heavy scent of hunger on him.

"Soubi, I'm still—"

"I know," Soubi interrupted him. "It's okay. Go ahead." He pushed his long hair back so that the spot Ritsuka had bit before was uncovered.

Ritsuka was sitting up on him again, his legs wrapped around Soubi's waist and his teeth sinking into the same spot as before. Soubi hissed with the initial slight pain that he never got used to, but then sighed at the warm feeling that started immediately afterwards. Ritsuka always made it feel good, something that Soubi hadn't thought possible when Seimei would roughly bite him and fed fast, which caused pain to course through Soubi's entire body. Ritsuka was always so gentle and slow.

"Ah, Ritsuka," Soubi groaned, unable to help himself. Ritsuka's soft kitten ears twitched in acknowledgement and he scooted forward a little so that they were pressed chest to chest. It wasn't unusual for Soubi to start to feel a little aroused. When mates were together and fed off of each other, arousal was a common thing. It was worse for the young ones, especially ones that were just going through puberty, like Ritsuka. The onset of puberty was a lot worse and the chemical reactions that happened for regular people happened a lot quicker and were more severe. Ritsuka would have no control over his arousal when he was with Soubi, his mate.

Soubi was more than happy to take care of it, so it really didn't matter. He would spend the night with his Sacrifice and then leave again. He would hopefully be able to come back later that day, but Soubi couldn't promise that. Things happened, things that prevented Soubi from seeing Ritsuka.

Ritsuka's teeth left Soubi's skin and he licked up the blood flowing from the two small puncture wounds. He looked up at Soubi and pressed against his chest, his violet eyes meeting Soubi's.

"Soubi, please…" Ritsuka begged softly. Soubi could tell from what he felt pushing against him that Ritsuka wasn't begging for his blood this time.

* * *

**I wrote this on a trip. Quite honestly, I'm not sure what to do with it. Should I continue it? **

**Please review with your thoughts. Feel free to point out any mistakes.**

**~Wolfie  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Soubi gently took Ritsuka's hands and kissed him, knowing that Ritsuka wanted to be pleasured. Ritsuka's warm, wet tongue was soon in Soubi's mouth, flicking against and running along Soubi's exceptionally large fangs. He remembered the first time Ritsuka had discovered them and realized that he was an Infected, just like his brother. Soubi had expected Ritsuka to be afraid, but he wasn't, and was instead curious.

Ritsuka pulled away first, hiding his head in Soubi's shirt and breathing hard. Soubi was careful, supporting the small of Ritsuka's back as he laid the child down on his back. Soubi took in the sight of his mate, nearly lost on the fluffy double bed with just about a million blankets of all the shades of Ritsuka's favorite colors. Soubi had made sure that he would be comfortable and happy in the room.

The bed was double, but it was small, just big enough to fit both of them, but small enough so that they would have to cuddle. It was pushed up against the corner of the south and the east wall, which was how Ritsuka had had his bed at his mother's house. Soubi reached over, flicking on the lamp on the bedside table before taking his place hovering over Ritsuka.

"Let me see your hands, Ritsuka," Soubi requested. This was the perfect chance to check Ritsuka for burns and cuts, as well as other injuries he could have inflicted himself.

"No!" Ritsuka immediately hid his hands, tucking them underneath him in a rush to hide the injuries that Soubi knew were there. Young Infected tended to get so frustrated at not being able to sort out their feelings and also at the hunger that gnawed at them nearly every day. They got so frustrated that they often ended up hurting themselves purposely. Soubi had found just a few scratches on Ritsuka's arms the last time he had come, but before he had never left him alone for more than two days, so he was bound to have more injuries.

Soubi sighed; this wasn't going to be easy. Ritsuka was clearly ashamed that he had hurt himself, even though Soubi hadn't scolded him the last time he did it. It wasn't really his fault, but Ritsuka knew that 'normal' people hurt themselves out of depression, so he associated it with that. His injuries were out of frustration. Soubi knew how he felt, as he had done his fair share of hurting himself when he was younger.

Those who were born Infected often suffered a much longer period of time where it was hard to sort out feelings and hunger frequently got to be too much. This period started around age four and ended at around age ten. It started late due to the baby not needing blood at all. At four or five, the child's body would start to realize that something is not right and the child is an Infected, not a normal person. The chemical balance in the brain would try to adjust, which created much of the frustration. It was almost like an early-on puberty, though this was the brain trying to balance chemicals and hormones so that the child's body could properly adjust to being an Infected. It ended when the balance was complete.

"I'm not angry," Soubi tried again. "I understand what you're going through. I know why to hurt yourself. You can't help it, Ritsuka. I know you can't. Let me see your hands."

Ritsuka looked like he was going to cry again. His lips quivered and his eyes got watery and his voice shook when he spoke, "Please don't be mad…" He held out his hands to Soubi, looking away and shutting his eyes tightly.

Soubi took both of Ritsuka's hands in his own, looking at them and finding raw blisters on almost every one of Ritsuka's fingers, ones that were clearly from burns. "I'm not mad," Soubi kissed Ritsuka's fingers gently, as burnt skin hurt for days and even weeks after. He pushed up the sleeves on Ritsuka's button-up long-sleeved black shirt, looking at the irregular, jagged scars on his wrists that the boy had inflicted on himself. Ritsuka wasn't even looking at Soubi.

"What did you do these with?" Soubi asked, running his thumb along a particularly long scar. He had tried to make sure that there were no sharp objects in the room and nothing that Ritsuka could hurt him with, though he hadn't checked if Ritsuka was hiding anything. It didn't seem like something he would do, but the frustration created from being away from his mate could make him do odd things. Soubi made a mental note to search the room more thoroughly.

"…A piece of glass," Ritsuka muttered, his face turned so that he was looking at the wall, not at Soubi. That confirmed the older Infected's suspicions. Right now, he was going to spend this time with his young mate, but when Ritsuka fell asleep, Soubi was going to search the room.

Ritsuka looked depressed, and Soubi could see his lips trembling as if he was about to start wailing. This was all Soubi's fault…If only there had been some other way…

_"Soubi?" Ritsuka's voice was a tiny, strained whisper, the only sort of a voice he could muster. He tried to sit up a little, but Soubi shook his head, not wanting Ritsuka to exert himself or mess with any of the machines he was hooked up to. Soubi could only sadly look down at him, the tiny boy in the hospital bed, covered by many blankets and hooked up to what seemed like a million monitors and machines. The college student had cried for the first time in ten years when Ritsuka got admitted and his heart failed him, and now he felt like he was going to do it again._

_ Ritsuka made an effort, grabbing onto Soubi's hand before he could pull it away from where it had been touching his. He smiled, an expression that was rare for Ritsuka, though Soubi had been seeing it more and more often. He squeezed Soubi's hand gently, whispering again, "I'm so happy that the first thing I get to see is you when I wake up." _

_ And Soubi ran out of there as fast as he could to prevent breaking down and sobbing in front of Ritsuka. Ritsuka, the only good thing in Soubi's life, was about to die because he wanted to stay with him, and the thing that Soubi wanted to do the least was the only way to save him._

The first small sob escaped Ritsuka, snapping Soubi out of his reminiscence. Ritsuka's arms went around his neck and he pulled Soubi down so that he was lying next to the boy. He couldn't even imagine what Ritsuka was feeling. He tried to offer some sort of comfort to him, holding him tightly against him and scratching his back softly, but there wasn't much more he could do, not when he felt so torn himself.

"Please don't leave again," Ritsuka begged, pressing his face into Soubi's bare neck. "Everything is so much better when you're here. I love you. I love you so much. It's so hard to be without you."

_I can't cry, I can't cry_, Soubi told himself again and again. Ritsuka needed him right now. He needed the strong, loving man that he looked up to, not the weak, torn person Soubi really was. He loved this child more than anything and he didn't want him to have to go through this pain. This hunger would gnaw at Ritsuka, even if he fed, until the chemical balance in his brain evened out. That's how long it would take for his frustration when Soubi wasn't there to go away. It could be a few weeks after this, it could be months. It could even be a year. It had already been a month and Ritsuka was showing no signs of getting any better.

"It's okay," Soubi tried to say, though his voice came out shaky. He stroked the base of Ritsuka's tail, feeling that the boy in his arms was still half-hard. He could also feel that Ritsuka was crying.

"You don't understand!" Ritsuka wailed. Soubi started, hearing a deafeningly loud crack right above his head. His eyes widened as he looked behind him. Deep cracks that went all the up to the ceiling marred the deep blue wall, making it look like a spider web. The center was a spot where the cracks were deeper and more jagged and frequent, a spot just to the left of Soubi's head. Soubi looked back at Ritsuka, his eyes still wide. If Ritsuka could do this by accident, then he could easily kill Soubi without even meaning to.

Ritsuka glanced up, looking over Soubi's shoulder at what he had done. "Oh my god," Ritsuka started breathing fast, hyperventilating. "My god…Soubi…"

Ritsuka grabbed onto Soubi's shoulders, panicking, hyperventilating, and crying. Soubi had been right about Ritsuka having powers, which explained why he wasn't getting any better. His feelings would control those powers and his mind would have no control over them. Soubi had never dealt with a young Infected with powers before, and he knew that it was extremely dangerous. Most young Infected who had powers were left alone with their feelings with no human contact, so that they couldn't hurt anybody.

"Calm down, Ritsuka!" Soubi forcefully pinned Ritsuka down to the bed. Ritsuka had developed both a heart condition and asthma after Soubi bit him at the hospital, and, though he hadn't had any heart attacks or heart failures, Ritsuka had had a few asthma attacks. Soubi had his emergency inhaler, but if he couldn't get Ritsuka to calm down, he'd have to take him to the hospital. If Ritsuka got worked up enough, he could have a heart attack.

Ritsuka looked at the wall again, not struggling at all and going limp under Soubi. The older man breathed a sigh of relief as he felt Ritsuka relaxing, though he was wheezing now.

"I'm here now," Soubi told him quietly, still trying to soothe the boy's nerves. "That's all that matters, right? It's going to be okay, I promise. Here, take this," Soubi handed Ritsuka his emergency inhaler from his back pocket, as he had taken it just in case this would happen. He watched Ritsuka take it and then lay back against the pillows, looking more relaxed than he had before.

"I'm sorry I broke down like that," Ritsuka said, his eyes closed and sounded more like the boy Soubi had known before he turned Ritsuka. "I didn't mean to. It's just hard for me. I like it when you're here. I like being able to be with you. When you're gone it's like I can't even figure things out for myself."

"I know," Soubi tried again to find a solution. He couldn't take Ritsuka out with him until his body began to calm down a little. His eyes would be extremely sensitive to the sun and the heightened senses of smell and hearing would scare him pretty badly. Trying to take in everyone's scent at once when the heightened senses were just done developing and still sensitive was horrifying, and the same went for being able to hear a larger range of sounds. It would make Ritsuka want to run back to the house and hide for months. Not only that, but the scent of blood could make him go insane and attack someone when Ritsuka was this early on in development. It wouldn't for an adult like Soubi or someone who was further along in development, but Ritsuka was only a month into it.

Instead, Soubi distracted Ritsuka by running a hand up his thigh, making Ritsuka's tail thump approvingly. Soubi did it again, this time getting both a reaction from Ritsuka and his tail as the child opened an eye curiously. That was all it took for Ritsuka's dark jeans to tent again in the crotch area. By then, Ritsuka's soft tail was wagging on the bed, hitting it and making a _thump_ sound. Soubi always loved to watch Ritsuka's kitten appendages, and he was happy they stayed, though Ritsuka was no longer a virgin.

"Can we still have sex?" Ritsuka's voice gave away his embarrassment at asking the question, as did his flushed face.

Soubi took his place on top of him again, going to work at the buttons on Ritsuka's shirt. "Of course," He leaned down, pressing his lips against Ritsuka's neck. The Sacrifice sighed happily, giving Soubi the approval he needed. He bit a sensitive spot on Ritsuka's neck, one that he had memorized, sucking gently. It was just a love bite. Soubi wasn't biting him for blood, since he didn't need it.

"I love you, Soubi. You know that, right?" Ritsuka was saying, a small moan interrupting his second sentence.

Soubi glanced up at Ritsuka, pausing from his task. He took a deep breath, "Yeah. I know." _Say it again. Please, say it again. I need to hear it._

Ritsuka smiled, something that made Soubi's heart skip a beat and made him feel like a teenager in love. "I love _you_," He said again, not looking sad or regretful in the slightest. "Not anyone else, Soubi. You. I want to stay with you for the rest of my life. It gets hard when I'm alone, but I can deal with it because I know you'll come to see me soon."

Ritsuka could make Soubi feel happy even in the worst situations. He kissed Ritsuka's collarbone, wanting to show him how much he loved him, not tell him. Soubi had always had a special way with words, but right now he felt as if they wouldn't fully express his feelings. His hands and lips travelled downwards so that he was kissing Ritsuka's small chest and rubbing him through his pants.

"Ah! More, please!" Ritsuka's back arched and his breathing got heavier, making Soubi worry. He really didn't want Ritsuka to have an asthma attack in the middle of sex. He'd just have to watch him carefully and get him to calm down if it got bad.

Soubi teased Ritsuka a bit more, rubbing him a bit slower and circling his tongue around a pink nipple, before he finally undid Ritsuka's pants and pulled them down, leaving him to kick them off. To his surprise, Ritsuka wasn't wearing anything underneath. The boy was as hard as a rock, pre-cum dripping down his cock and pooling at the base where there was a small patch of short, soft black hair. Ritsuka's body was small and young, his hands and cock inexperienced and his mind not too sure what to do. He got excited easily. A simple comforting touch from Soubi or a hug could make him hard, not that there was anything wrong with that. He would learn in time, Soubi knew, and it really didn't matter since he liked Ritsuka like this.

Ritsuka's hands tugged at the bottom of Soubi's shirt, sending him a clear message that it needed to come _off_. Soubi obliged, sitting up to pull it off and then positioning himself between Ritsuka's spread legs. He gave Ritsuka a moment to relax and glanced up at him, wondering if he was alright and if it was okay to go on. Ritsuka noticed, giving him a small nod.

Soubi leaned down, kissing the swollen head of Ritsuka's erection, flicking his tongue out to tease the slit for a moment. The boy beneath him moaned loudly, his hands finding Soubi's head and knotting in his hair. Soubi stroked his thigh lovingly, kissing down his young mate's throbbing organ. He loved being this close to Ritsuka, kissing all the places on him that he liked. His smell was all around him, making Soubi forget all about the deep-set, horrible regret and pain he felt about making Ritsuka this way.

When Soubi took the leaking head of Ritsuka's cock into his mouth and ran his tongue all around it, Ritsuka started loudly moaning and begging, his words a mess of 'Soubi', 'please', and 'more'. Soubi started sucking on the head, teasing Ritsuka still. He pulled away for a moment, but only to lap up the clear beads of pre-cum. He gave into Ritsuka's pleas, then, taking all of the boy's hard member into his mouth and sucking him _hard_.

Soubi pressed two fingers against the tight muscle of Ritsuka's hole, stroking over it and around it slowly. He was so wet already…Soubi was sure that he didn't need any preparing, but he was going to do it anyways. Ritsuka liked being fingered, especially while Soubi sucked him off.

"Ohh, _Soubi_," Ritsuka groaned as Soubi slipped a finger inside of him and started to use his tongue. Soubi was rather skilled at using his mouth after years of pleasuring Ritsu and Seimei. He had been forced to orally pleasure his teacher starting before he was ten. Ritsu and Seimei were both rough with him, so he hadn't really _enjoyed_ it, but with Ritsuka it was different. He liked giving him head. He liked the sounds Ritsuka made and how he looked when he had an orgasm. Ritsuka made sure Soubi got relief, too, which was always a bonus.

Soubi didn't have to search long before he found Ritsuka's prostate, which had Ritsuka screaming and pulling Soubi's hair. The older man glanced up, seeing Ritsuka's expression as he came violently in Soubi's mouth, his seed coming out in spurts. His Fighter swallowed it all, pulling his mouth off of Ritsuka immediately afterward.

"I want you," Ritsuka's arms locked around Soubi's neck again. "Now, Soubi."

Soubi nodded, meeting Ritsuka's eyes as he undid his pants and pulled them off, along with his boxers. Ritsuka was ready for him, stretched enough from either their last time or from Ritsuka maybe getting lonely when Soubi was away. He reached into the drawer from the bedside table, pulling out the lubricant he kept there.

"Let me," Ritsuka smirked, sitting up and slipping Soubi's pants and boxers off and taking the small bottle out of his hands. He surprised Soubi by uncapping it and rubbing the liquid all over his erection. His hands were soft, sending shocks of pleasure up Soubi's spine. He couldn't help moaning and thrusting lightly into Ritsuka's welcoming hands.

"Ready?" Soubi leaned down, kissing him on the lips and lining himself up with Ritsuka's wet, twitching pucker. He fought the urge to push himself in and feel that tight heat all around him and forget all about everything, if only for a moment.

"Yes," Ritsuka closed his eyes, spreading his legs wide.

Soubi released his restraint on himself, pushing in quickly and waiting for a moment before pulling out and slamming back in, hitting Ritsuka's prostate dead-on and making him scream again. He was still so tight, even after having had sex with Soubi _at least_ ten times. He loved being inside Ritsuka like this, being this close to him. It wasn't fucking, it was making love. There was an emotional connection between them. Sex was just physical. This was something more.

Soubi didn't know how long he was thrusting inside of Ritsuka. He had gotten lost in the feeling of being inside of Ritsuka and listening to the boy's pleasured screams, so lost that every other feeling and sense left him. He had his hands on Ritsuka's member again, rubbing the hard flesh and feeling it throb under his touch. Ritsuka was suddenly coming again, his hot semen landing all over both of them. His little, tight ass clenched all around him and with one last thrust Soubi finished deep inside of him, pulling out afterwards and collapsing to the side of Ritsuka.

"You okay?" Soubi asked Ritsuka, giving his neck a small apologetic lick for being a little rough. He could see the deep, larger puncture wounds Soubi had made himself when he had fed off of Ritsuka's wonderful-smelling blood about a week before.

"Yeah," Ritsuka positioned himself so that he was lying in the crook of Soubi's arm, a hand on his bare chest. Soubi ran his hands through Ritsuka's hair, petting the base of a kitten ear. The regret was slowly returning, tugging at his heart, urging him that he had done something and there was no way to take it back.

Soubi held Ritsuka close, watching him drift off to sleep. Something didn't feel right. Something was wrong and Soubi knew it. The warning bells were going off, ringing loudly in his head. It wasn't just in his head—his phone was ringing, too. Soubi rubbed his eyes, sitting up and blindly searching for it.

"Hello?" He growled, not appreciating whoever it was on the other end disturbing him.

"Soubi," It was Kio, the man upstairs who Soubi had left to take care of Ritsuka while he had to go away. "Someone's lurking around the house. I think you should come up."

* * *

**So, I decided to continue it because that's what you guys told me to do. I still don't exactly know where I'm going with it, but your reviews gave me some ideas (Yes, I'm looking at you, TLC).**

**Lots of you mentioned Twilight in your reviews. I did read one of the books (the very first one) and I did not like it. I'm sorry if I'm offending someone, but I did not like the writing style and I felt that Bella was sort of both a self-insert and a mary-sue. Please don't attack me, Twilight lovers. It's not you who I have a problem with, it's the books.**

**Abyways! Thanks to ****bigmachine, Tlcatlady, Gurgicalcipher, SilverChaosfan, Theressa, LivingRightNow, Yell0wButterfly, promocat, Cynthia Dollar, Tamer Lorika, LadyOfWinds, WaverleyJones, Riaries, and xxLovelessxBelovedxx for all the reviews! Please keep it up for this chapter and feel free to point out anything!**

**xxLovelessxBelovedxx: Why, yes, I can make a plot out of anything XD AND I TAKE REQUESTS.**

**LivingRightNow: Seimei and Nisei are both alive. Ritsuka is 14, which makes Soubi 22. Sorry that I didn't clarify that ^^;**

**Next up, werewolves. Just Kidding. Really. No werewolves.  
**

**Don't forget to review. I need ideas/comments**

**~Wolfie**


	3. Chapter 3

Ritsuka was asleep, so Soubi felt it was safe to leave, though he bolted the door and slipped the key into his pocket just in case. He headed upstairs, thinking about Kio's eerie message and how there seemed to be more steps than he last remembered. Something was wrong, something that had made Kio so on-edge that he called Soubi when he _knew_ what he and Ritsuka were doing in the basement.

"What's up?" Soubi nearly growled, disgruntled from the bright lights in the large, elegant kitchen, the only lights on in the entire house. Soubi and Kio had rented this house for the purpose of Ritsuka's turning. It was large and the previous owner had left all of furniture. The occupant had obviously been an older women, who had a nice cross of style between elegant and Victorian, though it wasn't too frilly and old-ish looking. There was some more modern stuff, too, as well as a large, new-looking kitchen.

Soubi was seriously thinking about moving out of his tiny studio apartment and into the large Victorian house. He wouldn't be able to live with five people (Kio had recently gotten fed up with his roommate and begged to move in with Soubi) in the apartment. This house could fit all of them, with its seven bedrooms and four floors, not counting the basement. Surprisingly, the house had been cheap and not too far away from the university and Ritsuka's old home. Soubi wouldn't mind living here once the trial was over.

Kio was sitting at the kitchen table, pulling at his hair, looking tired. He turned his eyes towards Soubi and his mouth fell open, leaving Soubi to realize that he wasn't exactly fully decent. He was wearing a shirt of his that he had found on the floor of Ritsuka's room. It wasn't buttoned up and it hung open, exposing his chest and the scar etched onto his neck and collarbone, which he had done a half-assed job trying to cover up with bandages that weren't even secured with a clip. He had forgotten to put his glasses on, too, a mistake he didn't usually make since he needed them so much. His hair was probably messy and knotted, and he most likely smelled like sex, too. There really wasn't any use in hiding that he'd had sex with his young mate.

"I think _he's _here," Kio mumbled, ceasing to stare and going back to his cup of coffee.

Soubi glanced out the window at the pitch black night, all of his senses on alert, even his horrible sight. "Go to bed," Soubi told Kio, glancing back at him. Kio got up, holding his cup, though Soubi stopped him. "Give me your glasses."

Soubi stood outside a few minutes later, leaning against the back of the house with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. He had Kio's glasses on, though they didn't help much. He hadn't even bothered to button his shirt. Kio had gone to bed, and Soubi could only hope that Ritsuka was asleep.

Soubi lit his cigarette, taking a deep drag on it, feeling his body relax. He blew smoke into the freezing cold air, his mind occupied with thoughts of little Ritsuka and his powers. Him having powers was both bad and good. It was bad because it put himself and Soubi into huge danger, since he couldn't control his mind or his powers, and good because once he learned to, he would be extremely powerful.

A rustling got Soubi's attention, drawing him out of thoughts and dragging him roughly back to the real world. He took another drag, listening closely again for the rustle. Soubi's heightened hearing sense told him that the person was very, very close, but trying their hardest not to make a sound. He guessed that the person was hiding in the tree just a few meters away. They had masked their scent, though, making it so that Soubi could smell someone was there, but he couldn't tell _who_ it was. His instincts told him it was somebody he knew and should be cautious of. What if Kio had been right about Seimei?

"_Show yourself!_" Soubi yelled, making it a sudden, powerful spell. It would have affect on anyone but Seimei, which would be a tell-tale sign. "_I control you! Show me your face, coward!_"

There was a loud crash as someone fell from high up in the tall tree and tumbled into the thorny bushes below. Soubi just watched in amusement. He could hear the person cussing and fumbling to try to get out of the bushes. Soubi noticed that there were a couple roses on the bush, and he made a note to pick some for Ritsuka. He would probably like that.

"You lunatic! You didn't need to do that!" Soubi recognized that voice instantly, as well as the silhouette when the man stood up, stumbling and grasping his left arm. It was the only person who would dare call Soubi a lunatic and expect to live: Nisei.

"_Bind!_" Soubi ordered, knowing he had to capture Nisei so that he wouldn't be a threat to Ritsuka. "_You're no longer allowed to move._"

Nisei yelled something else as the spell took effect, but Soubi didn't really catch exactly what he said, as it was muffled. Soubi headed over to him, finding him struggling on the ground, thorned vines binding his hand and ankles and wrapped around his mouth, silencing him. His eyes were wide in pain, making Soubi smirk as he looked down at him. Maybe there really was a little sadist inside of him.

"Should I leave you here?" Soubi asked himself, picking a rose off of the bush and inhaling the velvety, sweet smell of it. "Or should I bring you inside and force answers out of you?" He pulled the thorns from the stem of the rose, thinking of impaling them on Nisei, the man he absolutely hated.

Soubi gave him a kick, just for the sake of doing so before dragging him inside and down the stairs into the basement. He was prepared for this, too, and he tied Nisei's thorny binds to a pipe, leaving him in the pitch black darkness. He was in the bare, furniture-less stone-floored room. Soubi locked the door, bolting it three times and putting a spell on it to lock it and keep all sounds inside. Nisei was yelling obscenities, and Soubi couldn't have Ritsuka listening to that.

Before returning to Ritsuka's room, Soubi got a vase from the kitchen and filled it with some water, placing the bright red rose in it. He then sat at the table, clumsily wrapping a gift he had picked up Ritsuka before coming to the house. Finally, he went back downstairs, placing the gift and the rose on Ritsuka's bedside table. He smiled down at the sleeping boy, and took off his shirt, climbing into bed with him and snuggling close to him. He placed a kiss on the child's lips and Ritsuka recognized his kiss, even in his sleep. He unconsciously cuddled up to Soubi, relaxing in his arms. It was just like this that Soubi fell fast asleep.

Soubi woke up to find himself and Ritsuka surrounded by black downy feathers. Ritsuka was stirring in his sleep and Soubi could hear the alarm on his phone quietly ringing. He reached for it, turning it off and laying back down, watching Ritsuka stir.

"Mmm," Ritsuka made a soft sound, rolling closer to Soubi. He placed his hands on Soubi's chest, clutching his shirt and kneading it like a kitten. Soubi had pulled an oversized button-up shirt (one that he suspected Ritsuka had taken from him) on him during the night since it tended to get very, very cold in the basement. He didn't want his small mate to freeze.

There was no rush in getting up. Soubi had decided against his better judgment to call his lawyer and tell him he wouldn't be able to make it today due to being sick. He leaned in, kissing Ritsuka's nose, smirking when the boy started and his eyes shot open. Ritsuka peered up at him, obviously surprised that he was still there. Soubi tried not to laugh.

"Good morning," He whispered, kissing Ritsuka's nose again. Ritsuka just pushed himself closer to Soubi, cuddling into his chest.

"Too early…." He mumbled. "Jus' five more minutes…You're so warm, Sou…"

Ritsuka stopped talking, leaving Soubi to wonder if he was actually too tired to say the rest of Soubi's name or if he was using a nickname. Ritsuka fell back asleep quickly and Soubi watched him. Before he had turned Ritsuka, he would've felt guilty about watching him sleep, since Ritsu used to do the same thing with him, but now that they were tied together for life it didn't seem too perverted. He had other, much larger things to feel guilty about, anyways, things that he could never take back. Things like changing Ritsuka. Things like letting him get hurt. Things like not being able to do anything but infect him.

_A doctor found Soubi in the deserted hallway that he had run to after seeing Ritsuka wake up. He didn't know how long he had been there, but he did know that he couldn't stand the thought of life without Ritsuka. _

_ Soubi had always saw crying as a sign of weakness, and for ten years he was able to keep himself from it. He was able to stand watching someone bleed to death, even when he himself caused it on Seimei's orders. Seimei had made Soubi want to die quite a few times, but he had never made Soubi cry. This was different, though. The one person that treated Soubi well and that Soubi loved more than anything was going to die all because Soubi hadn't been able to say a strong enough spell. Didn't that justify Soubi crying for the first time in a decade? _

_ Needless to say, Soubi was embarrassed and angered when the doctor found him sitting on the floor, sobbing like some sort of needy child. He was so embarrassed, in fact, that he nearly yelled at the doctor to leave him alone. He knew that he was having a mental breakdown and he didn't want anyone to see him like this, especially Ritsuka or Ritsuka's doctors. This was his mind's way of dealing with the sudden situation. It would pass soon, but no one needed to see him like this._

_ "He's asking for you," The doctor simply said. "Also, we're scheduled to have him in for open heart surgery soon. We're going to need his parent's consent."_

_ Soubi glanced up at him, his voice a little shaky when he spoke, "I'll call his father."_

_ Ritsuka's father had only visited once, the second day of Ritsuka's hospitalization. He had immediately been curious and suspicious about Soubi, and Soubi hated the man. Things escaladed that day until Soubi and the other man were verbally fighting, with Soubi very tempted to take it to the physical level. Ritsuka had been the one to finally tell them to stop. To Soubi's shock, he had then told his father to get the hell out. _

_ Ritsuka's father was never there for him and he was drunk most of the time, anyways. Soubi couldn't forge the signature, though, not when there were about a thousand doctors all around. They were all especially suspicious of him, a grown man watching over and refusing to leave a young, beat up child. He supposed they had every right to be suspicious. _

_ The doctor lead him back to Ritsuka's room, where as soon as the boy saw him, he was smiling brightly, despite the machines he was hooked up to. A nurse was in the room, too, preparing a syringe for Ritsuka. _

_ "You're back!" Ritsuka's voice sounded stronger and he could talk at an almost-normal level, which was a good sign. _

_ Soubi smiled for Ritsuka's sake, though the fact that he did appear to be feeling better made Soubi a bit happier. "I'm sorry I ran out like that," Soubi told Ritsuka, going to Ritsuka's side and looking down at him. _

_ "It's okay," Ritsuka glanced away for a moment, only to take a deep, wheezing breath before his eyes returned to Soubi's. "You'll stay with me until they have to put me under, right?" _

_ Ritsuka had dropped his mature, unfeeling façade as soon as he woke up in the hospital. He probably didn't see any point to anymore now that he was going to die. Soubi would've liked to think that he finally realized that he could be himself around him, but that probably wasn't the case. _

_ Soubi took a deep, shaky breath, "Yeah, I'll stay."Ritsuka gave him a bright smile, reaching weakly for his hand. He grasped it, squeezing gently and making Soubi's eyes fill with tears again. He never wanted to forget the feel of Ritsuka's tiny hand wrapped around his own paler, much larger hand. Soubi wanted another chance to snuggle with him before bed. He remembered nights of having Ritsuka cuddled against him or curled around him. He could feel Ritsuka's heartbeat just through holding his hand, and he could close his eyes if he wanted to and pretend that they were snuggling in bed. Ritsuka needed him now, though. He needed strong, stubborn, sure-of-himself Soubi, not weak, wary, sad Soubi. _

_ "Ritsuka-kun, I'm going to give you a shot now, okay? It's going to make you sleepy. I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if your father will be here by the time you fall asleep," The nurse said to Ritsuka, cleaning his right arm. Soubi held onto his left hand. He had already called Ritsuka's father. The other man had already given the hospital permission for Soubi to consent for Ritsuka, but they wanted a family member's signature for an open heart surgery. _

_ "Talk to me, Soubi," Ritsuka requested softly, hissing as the nurse injected in the medication. She turned to put something in his IV bag, too._

_ Soubi thought for a moment, "I…I got a really good grade on that art project I was working on…" Soubi had said the first thing that had come to his mind and that had been it. It was stupid, he knew, but at least it was some sort of conversation._

_ "That's great!" Ritsuka was already starting to get tired, Soubi could see. He was completely relaxed and his eyes were half-shut. This surgery that Ritsuka was going to have was extremely dangerous, as the doctors had explained again and again to Soubi. There was over a thirty percent chance he would never wake up. It made Soubi's heart ache to know that this might be that last smile of Ritsuka's that he would ever see. _

_ "Ritsuka…" Soubi found himself unable to say anything more._

_ "I know," Was all Ritsuka said._

"Hey! Soubi!" Ritsuka shook Soubi awake almost franticly. Soubi came to suddenly, the dream he had been having leaving him in a flurry, even though it had been a memory. He had to have fallen asleep while watching Ritsuka. The black feathers still rested on the bed, many of them on Soubi's pillow and around Ritsuka's head. Even though Ritsuka's room had no windows, Soubi could tell that it was nearly afternoon.

"You looked like you were having a bad dream," Ritsuka explained, propping himself on his elbows. "I…I didn't want you to suffer, so I woke you up."

"I need to call my lawyer," Soubi muttered, running a hand through his hair as he sat up and stretched.

Ritsuka grabbed at the back of his shirt suddenly, pulling to get Soubi's attention. When he looked back at him, he saw that Ritsuka had a look of panic on his face and he held onto Soubi as if he was about to lose him. "Please don't leave," He begged in a voice that was almost a whisper. "Please, please just stay for one more day. Leave tomorrow."

Soubi realized he hadn't told Ritsuka that he was planning to stay. There was really nothing he could do, anyways, when the boy begged him like that. He would always give in, no matter what. If Ritsuka had begged him and there had been a court date, then Soubi would've had to find a way to push it back. This was just a meeting with his lawyer, though, and it was just to go over his testimony for about the fifth time. It was a meeting he could afford to miss. It was also one that he wanted to miss if it meant spending time with his beloved mate.

Soubi pushed a hand into Ritsuka's hair, looking him directly in the eye, "I will."

* * *

**Hello again everyone. Here's your chapter. **

**Sorry if I update slower. I have some major beta-ing to do and I have SATs coming up in a month or two. I just really hope I didn't disappoint you guys with this chapter. I realize that it's sort of filler-ish. **

**Thanks so much to EternalTearsOfBlood, bigmachine, Riaries, Kenn-chan, xxLovelessxBelovedxx, evangelinevsalithian, promocat, Yell0wButterfly, Dark Neko 4000, Cynthia Dollar, and Tamer Lorika for all of the wonderful reviews! I'm happy that you are all enjoying this story! Please keep reviewing!**

**Promocat: The feathers? I'll do something with them. Eventually. I think it fits him. *laughs***

**Riaries: Your full moon comment gave me ideas!**

**If anyone has any sort of suggestion or idea, please feel free to post it in a review or a private message.**

**Also, I put a new crossover up. This time it's Loveless and Amnesia: The Dark Descent. I made it so that even if you haven't played the game, I put in enough information that you should be able to understand it. Please g check it out.**

**Don't forget to review!**

**~Wolfie  
**


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